An elderly woman from Panchkula was cheated of ₹2.98 crore after cybercriminals placed her under a “digital house arrest”, impersonating CBI officials and staging a fake courtroom via video calls. Acting swiftly, the Panchkula Cyber Crime Police arrested one accused in Delhi, while efforts are on to nab other members of the gang.
The arrested individual, identified as Nitin Singhal of East Delhi, was taken into custody during a raid on January 15. Police recovered around ₹17 lakh of the defrauded amount from his bank account.
According to the police, the complainant reported that the ordeal began on December 4, when she received a call from an individual claiming to be a telecom employee who warned that her services would be disconnected. The call was then transferred to a supposed senior official and eventually to a person posing as a CBI officer.
The fraudsters falsely alleged that the woman was involved in a multi-crore money laundering scheme through bank transactions. To validate the threat, they sent her photographs of a person in custody and claimed that legal action was imminent. Taking advantage of her age, they intimidated her by claiming she was under “house arrest”, telling her that a police vehicle was stationed outside her home and forbidding her from leaving without permission. They further threatened that her children’s lives would be in danger if she disclosed the matter to anyone.
On December 5, the accused initiated a video call featuring a fabricated courtroom occupied by individuals posing as police officers and a judge. Under the guise of a “verification investigation”, the woman was coerced into transferring ₹2.98 crore into different bank accounts.
The victim became suspicious when the accused demanded additional funds and immediately reported the matter to the cyber helpline (1930). Initial investigations revealed the fraud was carried out using fake summons, forged warrants, impersonation of law enforcement agencies, and a fabricated virtual court setup. The accused was produced in court and has been remanded to police custody for six days.
www.hindustantimes.com
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